Curtain or awning.



No. 748,347. PATENTED DEC. 29, 1903.

J. A. CHARLTON. CURTAIN 10R AWNING.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII P13 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEET. SSSSSSS 2\ I v y Attorney PATENTED DEC. 29, 1903.

J. A. CHARLTON. CURTAIN 0R AWNING.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 3, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

Witnesses I PHOTO-LITHO., wAsmMorcN u c as. 748,347. V

UNITED STATES Patented December 29, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH ALDINE CHARLTON, OF HINTON, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO-B. B. BURKS, OF HINTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

CURTAIN OR AWNING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 748,347, dated December 29, 1903. Application filed September 3, 1903. Serial No. 1'71 772. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH ALDINE CHARL- TON, a citizen .of the United States, residing at Hinton, in the county of Summers and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtains or Awnings; and Ida declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates generally to new and useful improvements in curtains, shades,awnings, and the like, and more particularly to a curtain for closing the open rear end of a locomotive-cab.

The object of my invention is to provide a curtain of this character which will be simple in construction, durable in use, eflicient in operation, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of the rear end of a locomotivecab, showing the application of one embodiment of my invention which is in the form of a drop-curtain. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of another embodiment of my invention, the same being in the form of an awning. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the same.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4: of the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes the rear end of an engine or locomotive cab, and 2 the opening or door in the same, which is adapted to be closed by my improved curtain 3. Said curtain 3, which may be of any suitable flexible material, has one end secured to and rolled upon a roller 4, having trunnions 5 at each end, which are journaled in brackets 6, secured on the rear end of the cab at each side of the opening 2 and above the top of the same, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower or free end of the curtain is provided with a transverse stick or rod 7, which is of suflicient weight to cause the curtain to drop or unroll when the roller is released, as hereinafter explained.

In order to raise the curtain, an operatingcord or'other flexible connection 8 has one end secured to said roller adjacent to one of its ends and is then Wound about said roller in the reverse direction to that in which the curtain is wound. The other or free end of said cord 8 passes through an opening 9 in the end of the cab and hangs within convenient reach of the engineer or occupant of the cab. It will be seen that when the curtain is down the cord will be wound upon the roller, so that by simply pulling the cord to unwind the same the roller will be rotated to roll up the curtain.

In order to hold the curtain in its raised or lowered position or at any intermediate point, the roller is provided near one end with a ratchet-wheel 10, the teeth of which are engaged by a pawl 11, pivoted at 12 between lugs 13, formed on one of the brackets 6. The point of said pawl is preferably faced with rubber or other material, as at 14, and is held in engagement with said ratchetteeth by a Hat spring 15, which is secured to said bracket and which bears against the rear of said pawl. The end of the pawl opposite that on which the point is formed is provided with a hand or fingerpiece l6,which when depressed will move the point of the pawl out of engagement with the ratchetwheel, and thereby release the roller, which will immediately rotate to unwind the curtain, owing to the weighted stick 7, carried by the latter;

In order-to operate the pawl 11 from within the cab, a loop or bail 17 passes through an opening in said hand-piece 16 and through openings 18 in the rear end of the cab, as shown in Fig. 4. By pushing said bail outwardly from theinside of the cab the pawl will be disengaged to lower the curtain, as previously described.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown the free end of the curtain carried by supporting or stretching arms 20, to thus form an awning 3 instead of a curtain. Said arms have their upper ends formed with eyes 21, which engage the weighted stick or rod 7", and their lower ends are pivoted, as at 22, to the lower portion of the frame 1 surrounding the opening 2", which is protected by the awning 3 In order to start or assist the awning in dropping when its roller is released, coil-springs 23 are provided to exert their energy to force the arms downwardly. One end of each of said springs is secured to the frame 1 and the other end to one of the arms 20, as shown. From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

While I have shown and described my invention as applied to a locomotive-cab, it will be understood that the same may be used at any desired place and for any purpose. Va-

rious changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may also be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a curtain, awning or the like, the combination with a frame having an opening, of 30 

